Saturday, June 20, 2009

Going Home

Home is Texas.

James' unemployment has been 7 months long and we are at the end of our lease house agreement. No jobs have come available up here. No jobs in TX have come available. We are still moving to Texas, regardless.

Please pray God would supply a job in Austin for James and we could put roots down there. Austin is the locale where we have always wanted to live (in TX). We've had our time in the Pac NW. It's been great! We have grown, have learned things, have thoroughly enjoyed the scenery and our friends up here. The beauty of this part of the country is astounding to us. We will miss so many things about Oregon. Our hearts are sad to leave Oregon, but happy to return to Texas. We look forward to being accessible to friends and family. Which is another reason we would like to live in Austin; it's between our clans. It's a 2 1/2 -3 hour trip to see our peeps in any direction. It would also afford us outdoor adventures, as we have grown accustomed to up here. Austin is full of creative people and offers some of the best music, food and scenery in TX.

We hope God will make a way for us to settle there. AND I MEAN SETTLE! This will be my 29th move. I want to live somewhere for longer than 18 months. I want to establish roots in a community and serve that community. We pray God would allow that community to be somewhere in the Austin area. If He gives us the desires of our heart , then he gave us that desire to live there...sooooooo.... ???

From our perspective right now, it looks like we will be moving at the beginning part of August. We need Jeep repair (or a new Jeep). We need some financial provision as well. We mostly need a whole lot of prayer. The thoughts of "should we hold out a little longer?", or "is now when we move back?" or "what if we miss God on this?" are all thoughts we struggle with. 1) We have realized last year that we would eventually move back to Texas; we just thought it would be a few more years. 2) James has "fished" in the job pool for 7 months with no catches and only 1 nibble (but it swam away). 3) Our house lease is up at the end of July and Jame's unemployment is up as well. He will have to file for an extension and hopefully they will approve it for another 13 weeks 4) We are debt free and could live out of our Jeep if we needed to.

Our uncertainty about whether or not James could find unemployment in Texas (ya'll remember the problems we had last time we lived there) nags at us. We will be living with my grandmother in Mineral Wells until James is gainfully employed. That can and most likely will take a toll on ALL OF US in that equation. Two young teenage boys, an uemployed man, a mom and a 90 year old woman living together sounds like fun times....for a limited time. :) We have no idea how long that will last. So much uncertainty. But staying up here with me supplementing unemployment (that will eventually run out) isn't so hot. The cost of living is significantly greater here and in TX, our money will go much further. Anyway, our brains have been worked into a lather. We have surrendered our will to God. "Man plans his ways, but God directs his path". Right now, we are planning on moving back to Texas (and hopefully settling in Austin), so God, we trust you will direct the path (and provide provision).